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Dominic Breazeale is part of a rich tradition in American boxing of borrowed giants - Steve Bunce

Former quarterback Breazeale takes on Anthony Joshua on 25 June

Steve Bunce
Boxing Correspondent
Monday 25 April 2016 17:20 BST
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Dominic Breazeale is yet to taste defeat in the pro ranks
Dominic Breazeale is yet to taste defeat in the pro ranks

In 2008 a man called Michael King declared that “the heavyweight pipeline is dead” and pledged to invest $20million in his search for the next great heavyweight champion of the world.

King made his money in American television as a producer of often trashy reality shows and he wanted to turn the heavyweight title back into the sporting gem it had been when he was growing up. “Instead of getting a thug off the street, why not tap into the greatest talent pool in the US: Elite college athletes.”

In 2008 he placed adverts in American college papers promising glory and millions, and over 800 men answered his call to arms and the money. The plastic dreamers all went for trials at King’s citadel in Carson, California, called The Rock. “We only need one Pacquiao from the total,” said King when his five contenders had been selected from the original 800.

One of the men was Dominic Breazeale, a quarterback at the University of Northern Colorado, and big Dom met the strict and sensible requirements that King demanded; the hopefuls had to be 18-24, a minimum of 6ft 3in and weigh in excess of 230lbs (16.5 stone). Breazeale ticked all boxes, standing 6ft 7in, weighing close to 19 stone and he is now unbeaten in 17 fights as a professional.

Breazeale eventually left King’s camp of dreams, turned professional and has just been given the chance of fulfilling the advert’s dream of making money beyond his wildest fantasies: Breazeale will fight Anthony Joshua for the IBF heavyweight championship of the world at the O2 on 25th June.

He is as deserving a challenger as Charles Martin, who surrendered the IBF belt in a pitiful display against Joshua at the start of April, was a champion. Martin actually spent some time at King’s facility when the TV producer realised that manufacturing a heavyweight from scratch was probably impossible. King shifted the requirements and went in search of heavyweights that were “under-appreciated and under-promoted.”

Breazeale is part of a rich and abused tradition in American boxing where the borrowed giants from basketball and American football handily feed off a line of convicted losers, compiling legal but false records. However, there is always a disturbing moment, often away from the lights, when a fat opponent connects by mistake and the manufactured boxer is suddenly hurt, wobbled and terribly vulnerable; it is a hidden warning, a calamitous sign that the end will be painful.

There is a distinguished list of toppled behemoths, whose journeys through the glittering world of heavyweight boxing have ended badly with the cynics at ringside shouting 'timber'. The big lads from other sports seldom exit on points, preferring to go down heavily, throwing punches in a final, defeated heavy heap of collapsed sighs.

There is no shortage of courage, but the lack of natural fighting instincts, the inability to hold, roll and even go down on a knee, will always expose the hastily created college athlete when he finally has to fight for a living against a man with something to lose.

Anthony Joshua celebrates his world title win earlier this month 

In Breazeale's last fight he was risked against a genuinely dangerous brawler called Amir Mansour, a former convict and notorious tough guy, who just happened to be six inches shorter and three stone lighter. In round three Breazeale was dropped heavily and it looked like it was all over, but he got up, survived the round and forced Mansour to quit at the end of the fifth round. Mansour had a broken jaw, a cut mouth that required 36-stitches and real respect for Breazeale.

Sadly, King died in May 2015 and will not get to see if Breazeale has enough to defy the bookies when he fights Joshua and fulfil a crazy dream the producer had all those years ago.

Crazy Golovkin statistic.

Gennady Golovkin is unbeaten in 35 fights, he has stopped 31 men and has won all 17 of his world title fights by knockout or stoppage. He is arguably the best fighter in the world right now, but none of those numbers compare with one truly amazing statistic.

Golovkin, who now has three versions of the middleweight title, first won the WBA version in August of 2010 and since that time 18 other men have also held one of the four recognised versions of the world middleweight title.

In the Eighties, when there were just three versions of the middleweight title, Marvin Hagler held all three for six years and not one other man held even a tiny portion of the middleweight title. Golovkin will hopefully get the chance to emulate Hagler and, as he showed on Saturday night when he ruined formerly unbeaten Dominic Wade in two rounds, he is ready now to reign supreme.

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